Diversity competition for schools
Warwickshire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) has launched a competition for schools across the county.
The competition recognises the links made by Warwickshire schools with the wider community through Religious Education. Prizes for the best entries will be awarded to both teachers and students across all of the key stages.
To enter, teachers must submit details of an activity or event they have held involving the wider community. Trips to a local place of worship, a religious education trail or inviting a visitor into the school to talk about their religion or belief would all be good examples.
Entries must demonstrate the impact this activity has had upon pupils and how this has contributed to their learning experiences and understanding of cultural diversity.
Submissions should also include the work of one pupil that has been produced as part of, or as a result, of the organised event. Teachers may use this opportunity to run their own competition within the school to select the pupils’ work that will be submitted.
Winners will be honoured at a Celebrating RE event in March 2011 which will coincide with a larger, month long national celebration organised by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales. The national celebration aims to highlight the value and importance of religious learning for all children and young people, and to recognise the excellent RE being taught throughout the country. Prizes will include money to help resource RE in schools and book tokens for pupils.
Warwickshire County Councillor Heather Timms said: “These experiences are extremely important for young people, especially as they are growing up in a society diverse in religious traditions and beliefs. Enabling interaction with people who have views different from their own is an essential development of their sense of respect and tolerance.
“The competition offers a great opportunity for schools to showcase their achievements, and promote diversity and community integration, which is now one of the key areas inspected by Ofsted.”
The deadline for competition entries is 31 January 2011. More information about the competition and how to enter is online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/sacre